Free Web NovelChapter 705: Chapter 705: New Products
Liu Ji got up to open the door, and it turned out to be Liu Fei.
"What are you here for?" Liu Ji glanced at Liu Fei, carrying just a basic Lady’s Box, and instantly looked at him with disdain.
Liu Fei rolled his eyes at his third brother, carried the box with his umbrella, and squeezed in through the door, "I’m not here for you, I came to see my sister-in-law."
Looking up, he noticed the food laid out in the hall and greeted with a smile, "You’re having dinner!"
The children stood up in surprise, shouting in unison, "Uncle!"
Qin Yao also came out to the hallway and asked him, "Have you eaten yet?"
"Not yet!" Liu Fei said cheerfully and placed the umbrella in the hallway, hearing his sister-in-law instructing Ah Wang to get him some utensils, and he shot Liu Ji a smug look.
Liu Ji tutted, seeing Liu Fei about to enter the hall, quickly stopped him, "Going in soaked like that? Stain the rug and you’re going to clean it!"
First, he dragged him into his room to tidy up and gave Liu Fei a pair of his clean but old shoes to wear before leading him to the dining room.
Liu Fei muttered, "So picky."
But after changing into clean shoes and drying off, he indeed felt much more comfortable.
A seat for Liu Fei was already added at the table, and being family, there was no need for courtesy; he sat down and continued eating.
Liu Ji nudged Liu Fei’s shoulder, "Staying at my place tonight?"
Qin Yao rolled her eyes at Liu Ji; it was dark and raining, sending Liu Fei back home seemed unreasonable.
"You’ll rest at the guest courtyard tonight," Qin Yao said to Liu Fei, subtly hinting for him to eat, leaving no room for refusal.
Liu Fei agreed and moved his stool closer to Ah Wang, determined to distance from his brother.
Liu Ji: "..."
No business talk during meals. After dinner, Liu Fei, carrying the box, went with Qin Yao to the adjacent flower hall for a chat.
Other family members knowingly avoided disturbing them.
Liu Fei was already aware of Liu Ji being employed as a house servant at the National Master Mansion, expressed some concern, but upon learning Liu Ji was adjusting well, he didn’t dwell on it.
He opened the box he brought, placing the letters and a stack of money notes wrapped in oil paper on a small table beside Qin Yao.
"Sister-in-law, these are the shop’s earnings from the last three months, also a letter from Song Yu from the village, take a look."
Since coming to the Capital, Qin Yao hadn’t received any news from home, delighted to see a letter from Song Yu, she eagerly opened it to read.
The letter stated that everything was well at home, the stationery factory had let go of several lazy workers and recruited new ones.
It included a list of personal info for the new hires.
Qin Yao reviewed the list; all names, ages, and places of origin were recorded, most from Kaiyang County, only one was an outsider.
A total of eight people, four women and four men.
Qin Yao chuckled, seemed like her principle of prioritizing women was well implemented.
Song Yu also mentioned that the factory’s design unit, led by Qiao Yun, recruited two design apprentices.
Those two apprentices were scholars who rented in the village before.
Both were Scholars, skilled in painting.
According to Qiao Yun, their unique aesthetic could bring fresh inspiration to the design unit.
Attached were two original designs for luggage.
Through deliberation by the factory’s stewards, they decided to designate these two luggage designs as autumn new arrivals, seeking Qin Yao’s final approval.
Liu Fei said, "I’ve seen these designs, they look great, the shopkeeper from Fulong Trading Company also approved, our store usually sells wooden boxes, leather ones are a first."
"Plus, leather boxes are much lighter than wooden ones... but the pricing, it’ll be up to you, sister-in-law."
Qin Yao was reviewing the new designs, nodded at Liu Fei’s words, "Let me first look at the cost."
Song Yu handled it meticulously, prepared a bundle of information, with Qian Wang and Liu Zhong detailing procurement and suppliers.
Cost was clear at a glance.
Although leather wasn’t cheap, it didn’t require embedding various jewels, totaling its price, cheaper by twenty percent than Lady’s Box.
Leather wasn’t easy to source; Liu Zhong went to the northern state and finally found a reliable supplier for lambskin.
There were two new luggage designs, one big, one small.
The smaller one was slightly smaller than Lady’s Box, mainly constructed with wood, leather for exterior and interior partition layer.
Due to the softness of lambskin, the small luggage’s inner partitions were refined, not only having a zone for daily items but also adding a jewelry compartment.
The larger one was bigger than the Divine Power Book Box, close to regular household cabinets but incorporated Divine Power Book Box’s wheels and telescopic handle.
Qin Yao thought, isn’t this a modern trolley suitcase!
The layering design made it even more resembling.
Even seemed higher-end than modern suitcase divisions.
The suitcase interior was divided into four sections: one for clothing, one for shoes and socks, one for accessories, and the remaining for stationery and books.
Each area was meticulously arranged, pens had holders, ink had boxes, belts had specialized compartments, shoes had tiered sections.
Qin Yao read Song Yu’s letter again.
The letter mentioned that the large luggage was designed by the newly recruited scholars, suggesting if test-takers could use such luggage, they’d surely reach exam venues smoothly.
The Spring Exam was set for early March next year, if candidates were heading to the Capital, they’d be setting off this winter at the latest.
To avoid harsh winter, most would depart in autumn for early Spring Exam prep.
This turning point coincided perfectly with the immense flow of scholars heading to the Capital, and thus, the large suitcase would gain in demand.
However, limited leather meant only two thousand suitcases and three hundred official boxes for the first batch.
Yes, both the small and large suitcases were named.
The official box was named for targeting court officials in the Capital.
As for luggage, its practicality made it naturally named as such.
"They did a great job," Qin Yao praised and placed Song Yu’s letter aside, picked up the two design sheets, marked a large check on them with a vermillion pen, and wrote down two numbers enthusiastically.
Sixty-six and eighty-eight.
Liu Fei couldn’t help but get excited, carefully put away the design sheets, tomorrow he’d have the escort agency relay the news quickly to Kaiyang County with carrier pigeons.
With new products sorted, Qin Yao curiously eyed the stack of money notes.
The earnings this time totaled fifteen thousand taels, after sending thirty percent to the Princess Mansion, ten thousand five hundred should remain.
Five hundred tipped to Liu Fei, the remainder sent to her should be ten thousand.
But!
Inside the oil paper were money notes of fourteen thousand five hundred taels.
Qin Yao immediately frowned, "What’s going on? Didn’t the money get sent?"
Liu Fei abruptly stood up, nervously nodded at Qin Yao.
